Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel
With the glorious summer weather abating as the days tick by, tonight’s game in Fr. Healy Park brought us all back to earth with a chilly bump. A strong northerly breeze, keeping most spectators in their cars, hampered point scoring to some degree for the Shamrocks as they played from the club end. But that didn’t seem to bother them and instead Loughgiel focussed on goals for the better part of the first half, knowing the element would be on their backs later.
Many would have forecast a one sided affair for tonight’s game but a spirited Ahoghill squad dug deep and fought hard to limit the end result. Although the Shamrocks remained dominant throughout the game, the girls from Fr. McGuigan Park spoiled the green flag count with at least three magnificent collective efforts in and around the small box as Loughgiel pressed hard in the second half.
Loughgiel’s Ceala Dobbin was industrious scoring and assisting in tonight’s game
Orlagh Laverty opened up the major score count for the Shamrocks but that was equalled by Ahoghill’s Katie McCloskey when the opportunity arose to break behind Loughgiel’s defence. An industrious Ceala Dobbin made it two for Loughgiel within fifteen minutes from an intercepted Ahoghill sideline and Annie Lynn got some of the goal action after recycling the Ahoghill puc out. A sister act brought Loughgiel’s goal count to four when Orlagh Laverty fed through the sliotar to Christine McCloskey. McCloskey took the overhead bat option to rule out a hook from any chasing players. Tonight’s official, Paul O’Neill, blew for the break with scores Loughgiel 4-11 Ahoghill 1-01.
Maeve O’Donnell is denied a high ball as Loughgiel’s Louise McKillop takes the sliotar down from behind
The restart brought further pressure to Ahoghill as Loughgiel now had a full sail with the blowing breeze behind them. Five points fired over the bar before Ahoghill’s Noreen Graham replied with an excellent point from an acute angle, but Loughgiel’s Kirsty Mckendry would make it five goals as she made good use of a pass from Dobbin. Although Katie McCloskey moved Ahoghill’s score along after a fine point, Loughgiel made good of the turnaround and ran up six points in quick succession. And when Loughgiel’s Anna Smyth made a lunge for goal, O’Neill was quick to spot an infringement, setting up Loughgiel’s goalkeeper to take and score the penalty with a stinger high into the net.
You can see Emma McAllister’s penalty here…
Goalkeeper, Emma McAllister, steps up to slot the sliotar safely high into the net in Tuesday's league game ending @loughgielgac 6-24 v Ahoghill 1-03. pic.twitter.com/woEf8KAx0c
— Michael G Corcoran M.Sc CITP MBCS (@keep_clickin) July 21, 2026
That would bring tonight’s game to an end and essentially an end to the league. Although there are a few re-fixtures in the planning, essentially these will not alter Cushendall’s place at the top of the leaderboard.
You can see more photos from tonight’s game by following the link to the album here…
The U21 Hurling Championship gets underway this Wednesday night (22nd July) with games in both A and B competitions.
Shamrocks entertain Cushendall in the A championship while St. Enda’s travel to Glenariffe and Ballycastle host Rossa- all games at 7-30pm.
In the U21B Championship early favourites, St. Johns travel to St. Paul’s while Sarsfield’s host All Saints at the Bear Pit and Glenarm travel to Milltown where they will face St. Gall’s
Naomh Padraig hosted St John’s in Carey for a crucial Antrim U16 Hurling League Division 2 clash. In a game defined by an explosive start and a dominant second-half performance, Naomh Padraig extended their unbeaten run with a 1-13 to 0-07 victory to move three points clear at the top of the table.
The game began at a blistering pace, with Naomh Padraig’s Caleb McCaughan finding the back of the net in the very first minute. St John’s responded instantly, striking back with a point from their centre-forward Jack Rafferty. The visitors kept the pressure applied, and thirty seconds later, Harry McAllister added a second point for St John’s. Naomh Padraig’s centre-back Ollie Joe McAlonan settled the hosts with a well-taken point in the fourth minute but St John’s almost swung the momentum entirely at the six-minute mark when Damian Fagan found himself with a golden goal-scoring opportunity, but his shot was expertly stopped by the Armoy goalkeeper.
Jack Rafferty proved to be the focal point of the St John’s attack. He pointed a free in the ninth minute and added another in the 15th. In a brilliant display of awareness, Rafferty cleanly won the puck-out immediately following his own score and sent the ball straight back over the bar, cutting the Naomh Padraig lead down to a single point. The hosts steadied the ship in the 21st minute with a pointed free from John Og Darragh, but Rafferty answered in kind with another free for St John’s in the 24th. After a Naomh Padraig point from play by corner forward Ollie Henry, the half concluded with a dramatic moment from St John’s Pádraig Mulvenna whose shot for goal rose inches ovver the Naomh Padraig crossbar, keeping the tie highly competitive as the half-time whistle blew.
The second half was a completely different story, as the North Antrim side took firm control of the contest. John Og Darragh opened the scoring from play in the second minute. Moments later, Caleb McCaughan broke through on goal, but the St John’s goalkeeper Oran Lynch produced a fine save to keep his side in the game. Darragh continued to assert his influence, extending the lead in the ninth minute with a neat 50-metre point. The Naomh Padraig attack then clicked into top gear; Darragh turned provider, sending a beautiful ball in from the wing for McCaughan to fire over. McCaughan added another point from play shortly after, followed by a Darragh free to stretch the lead even further.
Jack Rafferty registered St John’s only score of the second half, converting a 16th-minute free. From there, it was all Naomh Padraig. Darragh landed a superb point from distance to stretch the advantage, and McCaughan then put on a clinic, striking an excellent left-sided point in the 23rd minute before adding another top-quality score from play two minutes later. Despite a couple of late goal chances for St John’s as the clock ticked down, the Naomh Padraig defence held firm and when referee Deaglan Carey blew the full-time whistle the home team were nine to the good, on a scoreline of1-13 to 0-07.
NAOMH PADRAIG
1 Shane McClelland 2 Ben Linton 3 Lorcan Kinney 4 Patrick McClean 5 Malachy McSparren 6 OJ McAlonan 7 Cillian Bellew 8 Killian Cassidy 9 Not used 10 Rhyss Murray 11 John og Darragh 12 Liam McCelland 13 Jake Feetham 14 Caleb McCaughan 15 Oliver Henry 16 Daniel Murray
NAOMH EOIN
Oran Lynch
Ronan McIlroy
Conall Gillen
Conchubhar McGibbon
Oran McCann
Odhran Ó Mearthaile
Dylan Hand Mccallin
Anraí Ó Conghaile
Not used
Jack Rafferty
Anthony Brennan
Harry McAllister
Damian Fagan
Frazer McGivern
Referee – Deaglan Carey (Con Magees)
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
ACFL Division One Relegation Play-Off Final St Ergnat’s Moneyglass 0-18 Tír na nÓg Randalstown 1-10 At Erin’s Own Cargin
A rampant St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass secured their place in division 1 for next season thanks to an excellent win over fellow strugglers, Tir na nOg Randalstown at a sun kissed but windy Toome on Saturday evening.
St. Ergnat’s produced a power and pace packed hour’s football which their neighbours had no answer to and this game could have been over by half time, given the Moneyglass dominance over the opening 30 plus minutes.
With the strong wind at their backs a Tiernan McCormick inspired Moneyglass led by 0-10 to 0-0 at half time and at least three of those points could have been goals while their opponents were toothless in front of the posts and never looked like getting going.
Still, given the strength of that breeze there would have been plenty amongst the good crowd who attended that thought that the Randalstown side could turn it around after the break and while they did do much better after the break, they never really looked like sufficiently closing the gap.
Tiernan McCormick who helped Moneyglass to victory over Tir na nOg in a division 1 relegation contest in Toome on Saturday.
From the first whistle St Ergnat’s had their foot firmly on the throttle with a great effort floating for two-points instantly courtesy of Seanchan Duffin in the middle of the park.
Moneyglass relied on the brilliance of Sean Boyd and Tiernan McCormick with the pair proving a nightmare to cope with for their opponents, as they struck seven points between them.
Boyd found his first score from a gently clipped effort on the fifth minute before McCormick soon followed with a point of his own, following a great score aided by the strong breeze in Toome.
McCormick split the uprights once again with a piece of brilliance which saw a neat pass and return from Boyd before the Antrim star floated a point between the sticks at the end of a driving run.
Caolan Boyd popped up with another score for Moneyglass and the men from Randalstown struggled to get out of their half with the continued pressure and multiple turn-overs which rained heavy from their opponents.
Both Sean and Caolan Boyd reached the catch-net with points and stretched their side’s advantage to eight points by the 25th minute as Tir na nOg continued to struggle to open their account.
Aidan McErlain soon got in on the act with a score from a free before Tiernan McCormick showed his class once again and used his blistering pace before splitting the posts once more,
Tír na nÓg rarely threatened in the opening half, but, they did have a goal chance from Cormac Devlin, but it was one of seven first-half wides as Rory Gribbon’s posts continued to prove an elusive target.
The St. Ergnat’s management must have been relatively happy with that first half performance but perhaps a little concerned given the strength of the breeze they were about to face in the second half.
Darragh Fagan squeezes past Zach McCaughan to score the games only goal and give his side some hope
They need not have worried however as the second-half unfolded, it was much of the same from the sides in the opening minutes, and Moneyglass built on their lead with another Tiernan McCormick point for his third of the day.
A five-minute spell as the half restarted gave some hope to the men in white as Eamon Óg McAllister pointed at the first time of asking for his side and they looked on course shortly after when a splendid Darragh Fagan two-pointer flew between the uprights, the Tir na nOg talisman finally finding his range.
A 45 from Fagan and a great score from Ciaran O’Neill saw the lead reduced further, but Moneyglass managed to retain their advantage when Colum Duffin and Sean Boyd both raised white flags in reply.
Dermott McErlain and Duffin both followed up and restored that lead back to eight points, but Randalstown were doing much better and continued to prod for the scores that would turn this game around..
Connor O’Neill found space and added a point for his side and when Eamon Óg McAllister’s driving run saw him finish to the net from a difficult angle, the fat was very much in the fire.
The low-struck effort did just enough to squeeze past Rory Gribbon in the Moneyglass goal and give his side hope that a comeback could be on the cards.
Barry McCormick then converted a great score to close the gap to three and St. Ergnat’s looked in a spot of bother for the first time but they rallied magnificently with Colm Duffin, now operating further out the field helping to steady the ship.
Tiernan McCormick fisted over and Duffin converted two frees as a composed Moneyglass saw out the game as St. Ergnat’s finished confident winners to retain their top flight status and condemn their opponents to a place in division 2 next season.
Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship semi-final
Antrim 3-10 Meath 0-12
Antrim booked their place in the All Ireland Intermediate Camogie final when they saw off a stern challenge from underdogs Meath in the semi-final at Brefni Park, Cavan, on Saturday. Playing with the breeze in the first half, Antrim, who had been inactive for the previous four weeks, found the going tough at times but ultimately showed much better in the second half to secure a well-deserved victory. They will now face Laois in the final at Croke Park in two weeks’ time.
Chin-up! Antrim’s Maeve Kelly holds off the challenge of Meath’s Olivia O’Halloran during Saturday’s All Ireland Intermediate Camogie semi-final at Breffni Park. Pic by Dylan McIlwaine
The Saffrons opened the scoring in the first minute with a point from Lucia McNaughton, followed by a point from Eobha McAllister at three minutes before she rattled a goal-bound shot off the crossbar. Meath responded quickly, drawing level by the eighth minute with points from Abbye Donnelly and Aoife Minogue. Roisin McCormick hit an excellent point for Antrim on nine minutes, which was followed a minute later by a brilliant goal from Eobha McAllister after good work by Cliona Griffin and Maeve Kelly. Meath then took control of the game for the next ten to fifteen minutes, hitting four points in a row. Their brilliant midfielder Aoife Minogue, pointed on seventeen minutes, before Emma Regan hit three points inside two minutes to bring the sides level. Antrim managed to finish the half stronger with a free from Roisin McCormick and an excellent point from play by Maeve Kelly, leaving the half-time score at Antrim 1-5, Meath 0-06.
Antrim’s Roisin McCormick challenges Meath’s Aoife Careyduring Saturday’s All Ireland Intermediate Camogie semi-final at Breffni Park. Pic by Dylan McIlwaine
Playing against a stiff breeze in the second half, Antrim knew they had a challenge on their hands but they got off to a great start when Amy Boyle stretched their lead to three with a point in the first minute. Meath’s Aoife Minogue replied a minute later with a point, but on five minutes, Eobha McAllister scored a brilliant second goal when she gathered a long delivery from Katie Molloy, in the left corner and ran at the goalkeeper, firing and angled shot to the Meath net. Following a period of poor shooting from both teams, Minogue sent over another free for Meath on 10 minutes, and the sides traded further frees through Roisin McCormick on forty-three minutes and Minogue again on forty-six. Antrim then took a firm grip on the game, hitting three points in a two minute spell, a long-range free from Roisin McCormick starting the run and quick points from play by Shannagh Heggarty and Eobha McAllister to stretch their advantage to eight. Meath rallied late, closing the gap to five points with three minutes left thanks to a great solo run point from Emma Regan and two more from Aoife Minogue. Crucial blocks by Antrim’s corner back, Caoimhe McNaughton, denied Meath a couple of good goal chances in the closing stages.
Just at the end of normal time, Cliona Griffin scored a fantastic goal to ease the pressure on Antrim. Despite five minutes of added time due to an injury, Antrim held out for the win, with Aoife Minogue scoring the final point of the game for Meath.
